This invention relates generally to administration feeding sets to deliver fluids to patients by way of a flow control apparatus, and more particularly to a feeding set and pump having features for securely loading the feeding set on the pump.
Administering fluids containing medicine or nutrition to a patient is well known in the art. Typically, fluid is delivered to the patient by a pump set loaded on a flow control apparatus, such as a peristaltic pump, which delivers fluid to the patient at a controlled rate of delivery. A peristaltic pump usually comprises a housing that includes a rotor or the like operatively engaged to at least one motor through a gearbox. The rotor drives fluid through the tubing of the pump set by the peristaltic action effected by rotation of the rotor by the motor. The motor is operatively connected to a rotatable shaft that drives the rotor, which in turn progressively compresses the tubing and drives the fluid at a controlled rate through the pump set. The pump set may have a type of valve mechanism for permitting or preventing fluid flow communication through the pump set. A controller operates the motor or motors used to drive the rotor and, if necessary, control fluid flow as by operation of the valve mechanism.
In order for the pump to deliver an accurate amount of fluid corresponding with the flow parameters programmed into the pump, the administration feeding set must be correctly loaded on the pump. Typically, the valve mechanism of existing feeding sets must be seated on a shaft of the pump that controls the position of the valve mechanism and the amount of fluid flowing through the set. Existing feeding sets may be improperly installed or become dislodged such that the valve mechanism is not properly seated on the shaft or the tubing of the set is not engaged with the rotor. If the pump set is misaligned in the pump, the valve mechanism may not be operated and the pump may deliver an inaccurate amount of fluid to a patient or the pump generates a low flow alarm requiring the condition to be examined and the set reloaded.